A Shocking Discovery
by PizzaSteve3902
Summary: Nick's wife had died in a car crash nearly thirty years ago, but he needs to know more. Nick looks through records and finds more than he bargained for. Companion Story to my other stories. Rated T for tears and graphic descriptions. Short Story.
1. A Shocking Discovery

_Author's Note:_

 _Companion story to The Young Life of Nick Wilde and The Life of Nicole Wilde._

 _I was able to squeeze something special out for today! Hope you enjoy!_

 **October 24** **th** **, 2008:**

Nick Wilde walked into his bedroom to see the bare back of his wife, Lucy. She was trying to attach the straps on her bra, but she couldn't get them on.

"Nick, can you help me?" Lucy asked.

"Sure," Nick said as he pulled the straps together.

"Thanks," Lucy said, putting her shirt on. "My pants are pretty tight, too."

"You've been gaining a bit of weight lately, Lucy. Have you been snacking on fried crickets at the studio?"

"Ha! I wish. No, I think it's just me getting older."

"Old? You're only twenty-five! I'm only twenty-six! We're not old!"

"And you'll still say that when we're fifty-two, won't you?"

"Hey, I never get old!"

"Ok, whatever. Bye, I love you," Lucy said as she embraced Nick for a goodbye kiss and hug.

Nick ran his paws down Lucy's side. "No matter what weight you are, I'll still love you, Lucy."

"I love you too," Lucy said, stepping out the door.

 **June 12, 2034:**

Nick opened his eyes. It was his fifty-second birthday, and he had a dream of that night—the night before Lucy had died. It was one of the saddest days Nick had gone through. That's saying something when you examine his rough life.

Nick rolled over and didn't see his wife Judy. She must've gotten up earlier than usual.

When all of a sudden, the bedroom door opened and little Josh walked in with a tray with blueberry pancakes piled high.

"My! What's this?" Nick asked, sitting up. "Breakfast in bed?"

"Yeah! It's your birthday, so we made you breakfast!" Josh said.

Then, Ken walked in with a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk. He set them down on the tray. "Happy birthday, Dad!"

"Thanks, son."

Then, Nicole walked in with a bowl of cereal and set it down on the tray. "Happy birthday, Dad!"

"Thanks, Nicole."

Nick started eating the breakfast they had prepared. Judy walked in as Nick was eating. She walked to the edge of the bed and gave Nick a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, love."

"Thanks, Carrots."

.

After breakfast, Nick was sitting on the back porch relaxing while the kids were in the pool. He was meditating on the dream he had last night.

The memories of Lucy always haunted him. The only thing he had to remember her by were the memories and her necklace. It had some burn marks from the fire that destroyed her car. The memories of viewing her body in the autopsy ward were haunting. They came back to eat at him for months after the accident.

Seeing her with large portions of fur burned off, her left ear burnt into an unidentifiable mass, parts of her face burned beyond recognition… It can haunt you worse than any horror movie ever will, especially if the one who was like that was the love of your life.

Nick continued thinking about what was said in the dream.

" _You've been gaining a bit of weight lately, Lucy. Have you been snacking on fried crickets at the studio?"_

" _Ha! I wish. No, I think it's just me getting older."_

Then Nick shot up and looked around.

"What's wrong?" Josh asked.

"Nothing. I have to go. See you later. Tell Mom I went to the Precinct," Nick said as he went to put a shirt on.

He drove to the ZPD and went in the front entrance. Ben was at the front desk as usual.

"Nick! It's your day off! What are you doing here?"

"I have to check on something, and it cannot wait another day!" Nick said as he ran towards records—it's downstairs. It's by the boiler.

"Oh, and happy birthday!" Ben yelled after Nick.

"Thanks!" Nick yelled back.

Nick made it down the stairs and into the records room in record time. He looked for the autopsy reports for 2008, then for W, then for Lucy's file.

When he found it, he pulled it out as if it was a religious artifact and God would strike him down if he mishandled it. In his mind, he would strike himself dead if he mishandled anything that belonged to Lucy.

He opened the file and read the contents. He had been told some of this by Detective Cobra a year ago, but he had obviously left some details out.

.

 _Autopsy Report:_

 _Name: Lucy Cooper Wilde_

 _DOB: 06-19-1983_

 _DOD: 10-25-2008_

 _Cause of Death: Car rolled down embankment and caught fire_

 _Form of Death: Murder_

 _Murderer: Dian Weather_

 _Extra Details: Victim was drugged and intoxicated, later discovered to be done by Dian Weather. Car's right inner tie rod was weakened prior to crash, later discovered to have acid poured onto it before trip—done by Dian Weather._

.

Nick continued reading, but then he stopped. He read a paragraph again. And again. And again, again, and again.

 _Victim shown to be three months pregnant. DNA test shows Nicolas Wilde as the father._

Nick was shocked. She hadn't been getting fat, she had been pregnant!

Nick took the last picture he had taken of Lucy out of his pocket. It was later in the day Nick had dreamed of. He had gone to watch Lucy as she recorded a song. After she was done, Nick had taken a selfie with her to celebrate. He looked at Lucy's stomach.

"My little child," Nick whispered as a tear landed right on the picture.

Nick held the picture close to his heart.

"I'm sorry I never let you have a chance," Nick whispered.

"What?" Judy asked, walking up behind Nick.

"Judy!" Nick said, getting up to hug Judy.

"What's this about, and why are you crying?"

"I had a dream last night. It was about the day before Lucy died. I remembered something she said, and it gave me a thought. I went here to check the autopsy file I never read. As it turns out, my hunch was correct."

"What was it? Is it bad? Is that why you're crying?"

"Calm down. You'll find out everything soon enough. Anyway, it turns out she was three months pregnant when she died."

"She was?" Judy started tearing up. "Oh, Nick! I'm so sorry!"

"She had always said that part of getting old was having kids."

"What?"

"Oh yeah. She had mentioned she was getting old. She was only twenty-five, but still that was what got me thinking. Also the fact she couldn't seem to fit into her pants."

"That seems right. You are a good detective, Officer Wilde."

"That's Chief Wilde, to you, Missus Wilde."

"Right."

"Let's get back home."

.

As Nick and Judy walked back up the stairs, there were two people they couldn't see. They were two translucent foxes, standing side by side. One was about fifty-one, while the other was about twenty-five. They had been watching Nick silently as he found out about his unborn child.

"I still love you, Nick. I'm so glad you found love. I can never tell you that enough," the older one said.

"I would love to talk to Dad and my step-mom, and my step-brothers and step-sister, Mom," the younger one said.

"Don't worry, Jenifer. You can talk to your dad and Judy soon. I know it.

"He _just now_ knows I _should_ have been born."

"And knowing's half the battle."

 _Author's Note:_

 _Nick would have had a biological daughter with Lucy? What does Lucy mean by Jenifer can talk to Nick "soon"? Find out next time!_


	2. A Visit from the Past

_Author's Note:_

 _This became quite popular, so it was requested to be continued. Here is part two of A Shocking Discovery._

 **June 29** **th** **, 2034:**

Chief Nick Wilde sat at his desk, tired from the recent drug raid.

A drug lord, not unlike the "Candyman" from nearly twenty years ago, had made a warehouse to store his supply of Night Howler-based drugs. Nick and Judy, as well as a team of the SWAT Razorbacks had done a raid to rid Zootopia of this mammal's dealings once and for all.

"Chief?" asked Clawhauser as he opened the door to Nick's office.

"Yes, Clawhauser?" Nick replied, putting the papers back he was checking into the drawer.

"A lady is here to see you. She says she's an old family friend."

"Send her in," Nick said, taking a sip from the soda can sitting on the coaster.

An old silver fox vixen walked in. She was wearing old raggedy clothes. "Chief Wilde?" the vixen asked.

"Yes. What can I help you with?" Nick asked as the vixen sat across the desk from him.

"I want you to meet me at nineteen-hundred hours tonight at Vulpine Springs Cemetery. I want to show you something."

"Ok, this sounds a bit like a con. I should know."

"I figured you might say that. To prove to you I mean you no harm, ask me questions."

"Alright. What is my middle name?"

"Piberius."

"What are my kids' names?"

"Nicole, Ken, and Josh. In that order. They are all adopted."

"Ok, those were easy. What is the name of my childhood friend?"

"Finnick. He lives in his van."

"What do I not have?"

"You're left paw. You lost it during an undercover mission exactly nineteen years ago."

Nick was surprised at how much this old lady knew about him. "Alright. I'll meet you tonight."

Suddenly, the vixen's voice changed completely. She sounded like a young vixen. "I'll look forward to meeting you."

Before Nick could say anything, there was a bright flash, and the vixen was gone!

Nick rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Ah, must be my eyes playing tricks on me," Nick said to himself, brushing it off.

 **That night…**

Nick walked into the cemetery at 18:57. Three minutes till 19:00. Nick sat on a bench and watched the last rays of the sun slip under the horizon.

"Nick?" asked a voice from behind. Nick turned around and saw the same old vixen from before. She was wearing a shawl over her head.

"Ma'am," Nick said, nodding his head. "You have me here, now. What is it you want to show me?"

"Take my paw, and I will show you," the vixen said, reaching out to Nick.

Nick took her paw and they walked over to where Lucy had been buried.

"What is it you've brought me here for?" Nick asked.

"Always as questioning as ever, Nicky," the vixen said, but her voice started sounding more familiar to Nick.

Nick looked closer at the vixen. Then it dawned on him once the vixen took her shawl off. Her appearance had changed completely.

"No, it can't be!" Nick said, stepping back. "You're dead!"

The vixen stepped back towards Nick. "You're right. I am dead. But I wanted to see you again."

"Lucy! You came back!"

"I don't have much time. I need you to take my paw," Lucy said, holding it out once again.

Nick took it and they lifted up off the ground into a bright flash.

...

When Nick opened his eyes, he was in a circular, white room. The ceiling went as far as Nick could see.

"Nick," a familiar voice said.

Nick looked down and saw Lucy wearing white robes. "Lucy!" Nick said, running to embrace her, but he went right through her. "What? Why can't I touch you?" Nick asked.

"This is a vision. Your real body is asleep on the bench in the cemetery. You have been granted permission to speak with me and three others," Lucy said.

"Who are the other three?" Nick asked.

Lucy gestured to a door that opened and Nick's parents walked out.

"Mom! Dad!" Nick said, racing to them, but stopped himself when he remembered he couldn't touch them. "I've failed you miserably," Nick said, falling to his knees. "I don't deserve to speak to you."

"Don't worry, Son. We were never mad at you," Jeff said. "We blamed ourselves for your failures."

"We've always waited for you to forgive yourself," Marie said.

"I wish I could tell you everything that's happened to me since you two died," Nick said, standing back up.

"We've seen it all from the Crystal Sea," Marie said.

"And we couldn't have been more proud of you, Nick," Jeff said.

"Thank you," Nick said, shedding a tear.

Nick's parents turned around and walked back through the door they came in.

"Who's the last person?" Nick asked.

A young red fox vixen, about twenty-five years old walked through the door. She stood in front of Nick and observed him, while Nick observed her.

"I don't seem to recognize you. What's your name?" Nick asked.

"Jenifer Wilde. I am your daughter," the vixen said.

Nick's jaw dropped. He looked at Lucy, who nodded.

"I'm so sorry I never let you have a chance!" Nick said, starting to sob.

"It's ok, Dad. It wasn't your fault at all! It's better here, anyway," Jenifer said, smiling.

"You look so beautiful," Nick said, taking in the beauty of his unborn daughter.

"Thank you, so much, Dad. Tell Nicole, Ken, and Josh hello for me."

"I will, Jenifer."

"Remember Nick," Lucy said. "Besides you, we are all dead. The love you have for me needs to be directed to your wife Judy. I cannot be loved like I was before I died."

"I understand. But you will always have a special place in my heart," Nick said.

"It's time to go," Lucy said, taking Nick's paw.

"Goodbye!" Nick said as consciousness was coming back.

"Goodbye, Dad!" Jenifer said as Nick floated away with Lucy.

Everything went a bright white.

…

Nick opened his eyes to see the cemetery as he left it. Lucy was standing over him, again looking like an old silver fox vixen.

"I'll be seeing you around," Lucy said, before she faded away.

Nick got up and walked over to Lucy's grave. He smiled as he pulled out the necklace Lucy had always worn and put it on the headstone.

"I'll always have a special place in my heart for you, Lucy," Nick said, reaffirming what he told Lucy.

Nick looked up to the night sky.

"I'll make sure to tell my kids about you, Jen," Nick said, knowing without a doubt Jenifer heard him.

…

Back to where the ghosts where, Jenifer is talking to Lucy.

"Why'd you tell him to stop loving you?" Jenifer asked.

"Because he have been separated by death. There is a condition placed at the end of a marriage vow: '…till death do us part.' Death has parted us, so Nick must now give his love for me to his wife," Lucy explained.

"Makes sense. But he still can love you, right?"

"Of course! He can love me all he wants, but he can't put me before Judy."

"And me?"

"He'll love you as his own child, because you are."

"Can we see him again?"

"Yes. We'll be able to see him, and even he can see us, but nobody else can see us. It's a ghost thing.

"Oh, cool! I like being a ghost!"

 _Author's Note:_

 _How was that for closure? I might continue it further, or integrate the sequel into other stories._

 _This story is NOT what I view Heaven like in real life. This is only a fictional representation of it._

 _The last paragraph of this chapter is my refutation of MafiaGuy2017, but if he needs a further explanation, he can just PM me._

 _Please Favorite, Follow, and Review!_


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